Choose A Family : Parent Profile
Who we are
We are Ken and Rachel from beautiful sunny Southern California and we are so excited to share our story with you. We understand that this is a difficult journey for you and hope as you read our letter that you will find peace and comfort in knowing that we will love and nurture your baby in a healthy and happy home. We appreciate you taking the time to read our letter.
We are a happily married couple, with a great little dog, fabulous friends and family, and a beautiful home in an amazing neighborhood. The only thing missing in our life is the blessing of a child. After many years of infertility we came to the understanding that we are meant to adopt! We are looking forward to meeting our baby and providing him or her with all the love that is overflowing in our hearts.
About Us
We both moved to southern California over ten years ago from different parts of the country. A year after Rachel moved, she was thinking about moving back home, and in fact had put all of her stuff in storage. She was living on a friends couch at the time as she contemplated her next steps. Then Ken walked into the picture! After being introduced by mutual friends we immediately started dating and Rachel decided not to move. After four years of dating we were married, and we have now been married over five years.
We have had an amazing nine years together, traveling, entertaining and making memories with family and friends and we are very excited to share all of our life experiences and our home with a very special baby.
We are very active and health conscious people and love being in the outdoors whether, biking, running, swimming, hiking or just enjoying a beautiful sunny day. We are close to our immediate families, but also have made a large network of “family” with our amazing friendships. We love to entertain and are recognized for building a sense of community by hosting gatherings in our neighborhood. We are often told how warm and open our home is and how our caring for others makes them feel special. We are loving people as individuals but also as a strong married couple, our love expands to touch many others.
We love playing with our dog Winnie. We love to spoil her, but have also learned how to train her to be obedient. She loves to give kisses and we love kissing her right back! Since rescuing her when she was six months old she has added so much fun to our life. Winnie has taught us a bit about our parenting styles and we are grateful for these little beginnings.
Above all things, our faith is most important to us and no doubt has enriched our marriage and our life together.
About Ken
I grew up in Michigan and spent much of my childhood playing soccer and hanging out with neighborhood friends. My parents, who have been married for over forty years, raised my brother, sister, and I in a great neighborhood. I spent my entire childhood in the same house where my parents still live today. The neighborhood, much like the neighborhood where Rachel and I live now, had several young families with kids around the same age. Living in the same house until I moved to Southern California, allowed me to develop lifelong friendships which are still my closest and best friends today. My parents provided me with everything that I needed to be successful in life, teaching me the values of responsibility and integrity at a young age. I started my first real job when I was 15 cooking pizzas at a local pizzeria and learned there is no limit to what toppings you can place on a pizza! I started playing soccer when I was 6 and picked up ice hockey once I went to college. Through sports, I learned the value of teamwork and the importance of sportsmanship, which helped mold me into who I am today. I love being active and keeping in shape and continue to play ice hockey today (even in Southern California!) In the last two years, I’ve been introduced to the sport of triathlon and have found a new passion in combining my enjoyment of swimming, biking, and running. I work as an investigator for a governmental agency and love that I am a part of eliminating crime and have the opportunity to catch the “bad guys.” It is a safe and fulfilling job that allows Rachel and me to offer a stable and comfortable lifestyle to your very special child.
Ken, through Rachel’s Eyes:
Ken is an amazing friend, husband and person. I am so blessed to spend every day with him and for the blessing of our marriage. We laugh and are silly together, we cry together, we can be busy with all of life’s activities, or we can just be sitting on the couch together simply enjoying being in the same room together. Ken is patient and loving and an active part of our marriage. He is handy around the house and always proactive. Seeing him with children is amazing. He is a true natural and kids always love him. Whether with our nephew, with one of our four Godchildren or one of the many other children in our lives, he loves to get down on the floor and play, or swing, or throw a ball. He will be a very active father and will no doubt be an amazing mentor to our child. He is respectful, compassionate and incredibly loving. I look forward to the day when he can share and pass on these wonderful qualities and values to our child.
About Rachel
I love spending time with family. Since our immediate families are out of state we have developed an amazing network of friends as extended family. I love to entertain and throw gatherings and especially love to cook. I enjoy gardening and love to include my homegrown herbs when I cook! I can’t wait to celebrate our children’s birthdays and accomplishments over the years! My mom always made a very big deal out of our birthdays and accomplishments and I learned over the years to celebrate everything! I do my best to be present, have fun and enjoy the moments I have with each person in my life. Along with our extended network of friends, I have a close core of women in my life that are truly my best friends and in every meaningful way my sisters. I lead a hiking group in our neighborhood, volunteer with foster children and I am very physically active. I like to bike and run and recently just completed my first duathlon and half marathon! My purpose in life has always been to serve God by serving others. I am able to do this also in my profession as a Human Resources Director. I am passionate about my job and think it is a gift to have the opportunity to positively impact people’s lives on a daily basis. I am a big proponent of education. I have earned my Masters in Human Resources and also teach others on this subject. I am also a virtual mentor in a leadership course for students at my alma mater. I believe it is important to work hard and play harder. It is the utmost importance to me that I am faithful, loving and serving others. I can’t wait to share these qualities with our special baby.
Rachel, through Ken’s eyes:
Rachel is an angel on earth. She always takes care of those around her and it doesn’t matter who it is. Whether it is a coworker, neighbor, stranger or friend, Rachel will selflessly make sure that the other person feels comforted and secure. I am so blessed to call her my wife and thank God that He has put her in my life. Rachel is the social coordinator of our family and keeps us busy hanging out with neighbors and friends. After we moved into our new home, she coordinated a social gathering at our home to get to know our neighbors which began the foundation for our close knit community of friends. Her drive and her vision to get people together, has created such a sense of community and family in our neighborhood that people can’t wait for her to entertain at the next event. Rachel is going to make a great mother, as she has already shown to our four Godchildren and other children in our life. Her patience with people and ability to listen and understand makes her the best wife, daughter, sister, friend, coworker, or mother that you could ever want to have.
Our Fabulous Family
Ken’s parents have been married over 42 years! They have been the cornerstone of the family and have been incredible mentors to both Ken and Rachel. Ken is the youngest of three. He has one older brother who is married with a nephew and one older sister who lives in London, England.
Rachel’s family still lives in the Pacific Northwest. She has one older brother. Her mom is an artist and has been waiting for years to teach her grandchild how to paint with watercolor!
We are fortunate to have families that 100% support our adoption and are equally excited about this addition to our family.
Our Winnie is also excited to have a baby to play with!
Our Home/Community
We live in a new single family home. We had so much fun picking out all the features of the home and can’t wait to fill it with laughter and play that a baby will bring!
We live in a spectacular neighborhood that is meant for children! Within walking distance, we have four community parks with playgrounds for all different ages, multiple swimming pools, with miles of hiking trails and a new elementary school just one block away! The school district that we live in is one of the top three districts in the state.
We often gather for neighborhood block parties, picnics, playgroups as well as for community sponsored events. These events include an Annual Summer Barbecue, Harvest Festival, and Holiday Gatherings including a day ever year where they bring in snow for the kids to play in!
Our friends in the neighborhood even got together and took a group picture so that they could share their excitement to welcome our baby into our neighborhood “family.” (Next to Picture Taken)
Our Parenting Style
Our goal as parents is to develop and nurture a healthy and happy child to reach their full potential. We will support our child to grow up to be loving, conscientious, educated, and thoughtful adults. We look forward to embracing our child’s unique skills and talents while guiding them with love and support. We will be firm while setting healthy boundaries in your child’s development, but with warmth and kindness. We will have high expectations as we want our child to reach for the stars if that’s where they want to go, but will also honor their unique and special selves. We will encourage independent and thoughtful choices based on integrity, love and faith.
We promise…
- We promise to always honor our birth mother’s decision
- We promise to be silly and celebrate everything!
- We promise to kiss all boo-boos and help wipe away any tears and fears
- We promise to stay together as a family to work through any tough times
- We promise to swing on the swings and jump in the pool!
- We promise to educate – both academically and in life lessons
- We promise to embrace your child’s individuality and unique spirit and passions!
- We promise to share our values and faith
- We promise to cook yummy healthy meals, while enjoying ice cream cones when needed!
- We promise to be present, listen and enjoy every moment we have!
- We promise that your baby will be loved, protected, celebrated and will be surrounded by family, friends and a community who will always celebrate them and love them unconditionally.
With Love,
Rachel and Ken
If you have any questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.
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